Improvement in tiller-holder attachments for vessels



'. E. THOMAS.

TILLER-HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR VESSELS.

Patented. May 16 INVENTBR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

. N. PETERS, PIIGW-UMOGHAPMER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E, THOMAS, OF FORDS STORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR .TO HIMSELF AND JOHN R. EMORY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN TlLLER-HOLDERv ATTACHMENTS FOR VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 77,590, dated May 16, 1876; application filed April 27, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. THOMAS, of Fords Store, of the county of Queen Anne and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Tiller-Holder Attachment for Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved tiller-holder attachment. Fig. 2 represents a plan of the same.

The object of my invention is the construction of a device whereby the tiller of a vessel may be easily and quickly secured and maintained in any desired position, should it become necessary for the helmsman to leave his place for a short time. Also, whereby the successive blows of the waves upon the rudder may be prevented from suddenly communicating their entire force to the tiller, and the motion of the latter around the rudderhead thus partially equalized.

My invention consists of a tiller of peculiar construction, fitting, as usual, into the head of a rudder, which is hung to the stern-post of a vessel, in the usual manner.

The tiller is provided with two blocks fixed to its under surface-one in which a single pulley turns at its forward end; the other near the middle of the tiller and provided with two pulleys, situated transversely side by side. Near the latter block, and also on the under surface of the tiller, is fixed a staple. On both sides of and at equal distances from the rudder-hole, blocks bearing each a single pulley are lashed in such a manner to staples firmly fixed to the deck, as to allow of their moving freely in every direction around the staples. A strong rope is securely attached by one end to the staple on the tiller thence it passes aft, around the pulley on one side of the rudder-hole; thence forward around the pulley on the same side fixed to the middle of the tiller; thence around the puiley at the forward end of the tiller, and returns to the staple by the pulleys on the opposite side, in the reverse order of its departure therefrom. Its free end, after passing through the staple, is carried aft and I pulley within. If desirable, the blocks on each side of the rudder may be double pulleyblocks.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the stem of a vessel, with stern-post a and rudder-hole a. B is the rudder, attached by a pintle, b, to the stern-post, and having the tiller 0 fitted in the usual manner at 1) into its head I), which passes through the rudder-hole a. O represents the tiller, having fixed to its under surface the block 0 containing the pulley 0 the block 0 containing the two pulleys c and c and the staple 0 On its upper surface, near the rudder-head, is the cleat 0 Through the forward end of the block 0 passes the set-screw D, which, upon being turned, presses on the rope F and stops its motion over the pulley c. E and E are two blocks, containing each a single pulley, e and e, and securely lashed to the staples 0 0 which are fixed firmly to the deck, at equal distances from the rudder-hole. The blocks have free motion in all directions around the staples. F is a strong rope, which is secured by one end to the staple c and passes thence successively around the pulleys 1;,0, c c and c, and also through the staple 0 Its free end is then carried aft and belayed to the cleat c. The blocks E E may, if desirable, be double pulley-blocks.

The mode of operation of my invention is as follows: The rope F, being in position and drawn taut, and its free end belayed to the cleat 0, acts as a brace or stay to the tiller on both sides, and prevents the successive blows of the waves upon the rudder from communicating suddenly to it their entire force.

Should it be necessary to keep the helm in any particular position, either to port or starboard, while the helmsman is a short time away from his place, the set-screwD is turned until its end presses upon the rope F, thus preventing the latter from running, and fixing the tiller in the position in which it happens to stand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a tiller-holder attachment for vessels, the tiller 0, provided with the pulleys c c and c and the staple 0 combined with the setscrew D, the blocks E E containing the pulleys e and e and lashed to staples fixed to the deck, and the rope F fastened at one end to the staple c and helayed at the other to a cleat or pin on the tiller, as and for the purpose herein specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 15th day of April, 1876.

' W. E. THOMAS. Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, THOMAS P. SIMPSON. 

